Three of a Perfect Pair album cover
Three of a Perfect Pair

King Crimson

1984
Warner Bros. Records

The third entry in King Crimson’s early-1980s trilogy and the last album made by the Fripp-Belew-Levin-Bruford configuration feels more willfully opaque than the first two, and more sonically compressed. The title track is a romantic lament, mixed densely and claustrophobically; “Sleepless” feels desperate, while “Industry” is a clattery, grinding tone poem. “Man with an Open Heart” is the closest thing to a pop song here, but it’s a cry of despair. This is objectively excellent music, but not as enjoyable a listen as either Discipline or Beat, the first two albums recorded by this manifestation of the band.

Rick Anderson

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